Flashback Friday: Second Strategy to Cooking Broccoli

Adding myrosinase enzymes in the form of even a pinch of mustard powder to cooked cruciferous (cabbage-family) vegetables like kale, collards or Brussels sprouts can offer anti-cancer sulforaphane levels comparable to raw, removing the necessity to pre-chop for maximum health benefits.

When I used to teach medical students at Tufts, I gave a lecture about this amazing new therapeutic called iloccorB. I’d talk about all the new science, all the things it could do, excellent safety profile and just as they were all scrambling to buy stock in the company and prescribe it to all their patients I did the big reveal, apologizing for my dyslexia, I had got it backwards. All this time I had been talking about broccoli.

Sulforaphane, is thought to be the main active ingredient in broccoli, which may protect our brain, protect our eyesight, protect against free radicals, induce our detoxification enzymes, help prevent cancer, as well as help treat it. For example I’ve talked about sulforaphane targeting breast cancer stem cells.

But then I talked about how the formation of this compound is like a chemical flare reaction, requiring the mixing of a precursor compound with an enzyme in broccoli, which is destroyed by cooking. This may explain why we get dramatic suppression of cancer cell growth from raw broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, but hardly anything boiled microwaved or steamed, except for microwaved broccoli —that actually retained some cancer fighting abilities. But who wants to eat raw Brussels sprouts?

I shared a strategy, though, for to how to get the benefits of raw in cooked form. In raw broccoli, when the sulforaphane precursor, called glucoraphanin, mixes with the enzyme, called myrosinase, because you chewed or chopped it, given enough time—sitting in your upper stomach for example, waiting to get digested, sulforaphane is born. Now the precursor is resistant to heat, and so is the final product, but the enzyme is destroyed. And with no enzyme, there’s no sulforaphane production.

That’s why I described the hack and hold technique. If you chop the broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, collards, or cauliflower first, and then wait 40 minutes, then you can cook them all you want. The sulforaphane is already made, the enzyme is already done doing its job, so you don’t need it anymore.

When most people make broccoli soup, for example. they’re doing it wrong. Most people cook the broccoli first, then blend it, but now we know it should be done the exact opposite way. Blend it first, wait, and then cook it. What if we’re using frozen broccoli, though? Here’s the amount of sulphorane in someone’s body after they eat broccoli soup made from fresh broccoli. Hits their bloodstream within 15 minutes. Here’s after frozen.

Commercially produced frozen broccoli lacks the ability to form sulforaphane because vegetables are blanched, flash-cooked, before they’re frozen for the very purpose of deactivating enzymes. This prolongs shelf life in the frozen foods section, but the enzyme is dead by the time you take it out of your freezer, so it doesn’t matter how much you chop it, or how long you wait, no sulforaphane is going to be made. This may be why fresh kale suppresses cancer cell growth up to 10 times more than frozen.

The frozen is still packed with the precursor—remember that’s heat resistant, and they could make lots of sulforaphane out of the frozen broccoli by adding some exogenous enzyme. Where do you get myrosinase enzyme from? They bought theirs from a chemical company, but we can just walk into any grocery store.

This is another cruciferous vegetable, mustard greens. All cruciferous vegetables have this enzyme. Mustard greens, grow out of little mustard seeds, which you can buy ground up in the spice aisle as mustard powder. So if you sprinkled some mustard powder on your cooked frozen broccoli, would it start churning out sulforaphane? We didn’t know, until now.

Boiling broccoli prevents the formation of any significant levels of sulforaphane due to inactivation of the enzyme. However, addition of powdered mustard seeds to the heat processed broccoli significantly increased the formation of sulforaphane. Here’s the amount of sulforaphane in boiled broccoli; this is how much you get if you add a teaspoon of mustard powder. That’s a lot though. How about a just a half teaspoon? About the same amount, suggesting you could use even use less. Domestic cooking leads to enzyme inactivation of myrosinase and hence stops sulforaphane formation, but addition of powdered mustard seeds to cooked cabbage-family vegetables provides a natural source of the enzyme and then it’s like you’re practically just eating it raw. So, if you forget to chop your greens in the morning for the day, or are using frozen, just sprinkle some mustard powder on top at the dinner table and you’re all set. Or some daikon radish, or horseradish, or wasabi—all cruciferous vegetables packed with the enzyme. Here they used just like a quarter teaspoon for seven cups of broccoli, so just a tiny pinch can do it. Or you can add a small amount of fresh greens to your cooked greens. Right—because the fresh greens have that enzyme that can go to work on the precursor in the cooked greens.

One of the first things I used to do in the morning is chop my greens for the day and so when lunch and supper rolls around they’re good to go, as per the hack and hold strategy, but now with the mustard powder plan I don’t have to prechop.

To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by Katie Schloer.

When I used to teach medical students at Tufts, I gave a lecture about this amazing new therapeutic called iloccorB. I’d talk about all the new science, all the things it could do, excellent safety profile and just as they were all scrambling to buy stock in the company and prescribe it to all their patients I did the big reveal, apologizing for my dyslexia, I had got it backwards. All this time I had been talking about broccoli.

Sulforaphane, is thought to be the main active ingredient in broccoli, which may protect our brain, protect our eyesight, protect against free radicals, induce our detoxification enzymes, help prevent cancer, as well as help treat it. For example I’ve talked about sulforaphane targeting breast cancer stem cells.

But then I talked about how the formation of this compound is like a chemical flare reaction, requiring the mixing of a precursor compound with an enzyme in broccoli, which is destroyed by cooking. This may explain why we get dramatic suppression of cancer cell growth from raw broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, but hardly anything boiled microwaved or steamed, except for microwaved broccoli —that actually retained some cancer fighting abilities. But who wants to eat raw Brussels sprouts?

I shared a strategy, though, for to how to get the benefits of raw in cooked form. In raw broccoli, when the sulforaphane precursor, called glucoraphanin, mixes with the enzyme, called myrosinase, because you chewed or chopped it, given enough time—sitting in your upper stomach for example, waiting to get digested, sulforaphane is born. Now the precursor is resistant to heat, and so is the final product, but the enzyme is destroyed. And with no enzyme, there’s no sulforaphane production.

That’s why I described the hack and hold technique. If you chop the broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, collards, or cauliflower first, and then wait 40 minutes, then you can cook them all you want. The sulforaphane is already made, the enzyme is already done doing its job, so you don’t need it anymore.

When most people make broccoli soup, for example. they’re doing it wrong. Most people cook the broccoli first, then blend it, but now we know it should be done the exact opposite way. Blend it first, wait, and then cook it. What if we’re using frozen broccoli, though? Here’s the amount of sulphorane in someone’s body after they eat broccoli soup made from fresh broccoli. Hits their bloodstream within 15 minutes. Here’s after frozen.

Commercially produced frozen broccoli lacks the ability to form sulforaphane because vegetables are blanched, flash-cooked, before they’re frozen for the very purpose of deactivating enzymes. This prolongs shelf life in the frozen foods section, but the enzyme is dead by the time you take it out of your freezer, so it doesn’t matter how much you chop it, or how long you wait, no sulforaphane is going to be made. This may be why fresh kale suppresses cancer cell growth up to 10 times more than frozen.

The frozen is still packed with the precursor—remember that’s heat resistant, and they could make lots of sulforaphane out of the frozen broccoli by adding some exogenous enzyme. Where do you get myrosinase enzyme from? They bought theirs from a chemical company, but we can just walk into any grocery store.

This is another cruciferous vegetable, mustard greens. All cruciferous vegetables have this enzyme. Mustard greens, grow out of little mustard seeds, which you can buy ground up in the spice aisle as mustard powder. So if you sprinkled some mustard powder on your cooked frozen broccoli, would it start churning out sulforaphane? We didn’t know, until now.

Boiling broccoli prevents the formation of any significant levels of sulforaphane due to inactivation of the enzyme. However, addition of powdered mustard seeds to the heat processed broccoli significantly increased the formation of sulforaphane. Here’s the amount of sulforaphane in boiled broccoli; this is how much you get if you add a teaspoon of mustard powder. That’s a lot though. How about a just a half teaspoon? About the same amount, suggesting you could use even use less. Domestic cooking leads to enzyme inactivation of myrosinase and hence stops sulforaphane formation, but addition of powdered mustard seeds to cooked cabbage-family vegetables provides a natural source of the enzyme and then it’s like you’re practically just eating it raw. So, if you forget to chop your greens in the morning for the day, or are using frozen, just sprinkle some mustard powder on top at the dinner table and you’re all set. Or some daikon radish, or horseradish, or wasabi—all cruciferous vegetables packed with the enzyme. Here they used just like a quarter teaspoon for seven cups of broccoli, so just a tiny pinch can do it. Or you can add a small amount of fresh greens to your cooked greens. Right—because the fresh greens have that enzyme that can go to work on the precursor in the cooked greens.

One of the first things I used to do in the morning is chop my greens for the day and so when lunch and supper rolls around they’re good to go, as per the hack and hold strategy, but now with the mustard powder plan I don’t have to prechop.

To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by Katie Schloer.

Flashback Friday: Second Strategy to Cooking Broccoli

Doctor's Note

Is that cool or what?! I love kitchen chemistry. Totally revolutionized my daily greens prep. For those new to the whole enzyme concept I’m sure this is a bit confusing. Make sure to watch the original “chemical flare” video The Best Detox and then the hack and hold strategy in Sometimes the Enzyme Myth Is the Truth.

151 responses to “Flashback Friday: Second Strategy to Cooking Broccoli”

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Off topic but would appreciate some info: are lysine and tryptophan and tyrosine supplements safe to take? Any concerns as far as the data and science? I can’t eat any beans and therefore lack lysine as I eat lots of grains. As far as tryptophan and tyrosine, there seems to be some merit to their positive effect on mood, no?

Intolerant to them. All forms of cooking and pre-preparation. Have tried it for a long time. And also have very allergic type reactions. Soy is the worst for me, but all legumes mess with my health. Digestion doesn’t seem to be an issue. I digest them fine.

You can’t lack any essential amino acid if you eat enough calories to satisfy WHO standards. According to WHO, all starches contain more than sufficient amounts of all essential amino acids. See “The Starch Solution” by Dr. John McDougall.

This is a largely unfounded claim. A lot of claims have been made (taken out of thin air) to promote meat industry in the past (including concepts such as “protein quality”, which even WHO has now amended, just see Wikipedia on this). No amino acid negates the other ones, you just get rid of them. In fact and with dr. Greger’s words, “your body is not stupid”. While the detailed bio-chemistry is not yet fully understood, it seems we are capable of getting essential amino acids from variety of sources and do not depend on actual composition in the foods. This is why Blair above refers to “The Starch Solution” and he means “starchy foods” (of which some contain quite a lot of protein in addition to complex carbohydrates, like oats for example).

So while I feel very sorry for people who are intolerant to legumes and have nut allergy, there are some solutions. In your case, you could add some amount of nuts into your diet and those starchy foods that do have protein. I would like to point out that there are no long term safety data for protein supplements (!) and that they may potentially damage your kidneys, especially if you overload on protein, which many people do, as they ingest protein powders usually hoping they will somehow force their body to build muscle (they will not). Please explore this topic here as well, because dr. Greger has video on this – kidneys and protein.

Your question is very interesting and I hope it will be chosen by dr. Greger in the future to address in a video – what to do when you are intolerant to legumes. People can actually be allergic to any food, even though some allergies are very rare, so much so that people react with disbelief (you are probably used to that by now).

Blair, you made a very strange comment; starch is basically sugar molecules linked together: “Starch or amylum is a polymeric carbohydrate consisting of a large number of glucose units joined by glycosidic bonds. This polysaccharide is produced by most green plants as energy storage. It is the most common carbohydrate in human diets and is contained in large amounts in staple foods like potatoes, wheat, maize (corn), rice, and cassava.” (wikipedia)

Amino acids, on the other hand, are found in proteins; they are often called the “building blocks” of proteins. Starch does not contain amino acids. Foods that contain starch also contain proteins; perhaps that is what you meant. That foods high in starches also contain proteins, often in relatively high amounts, such as whole grains and beans. Refined carbohydrates, such as sugar and white flour (mostly starch), contain very little protein.

We can make all but 9 amino acids; these 9 are often referred to as “essential amino acids, and are phenylalanine, valine, threonine, tryptophan, methionine, leucine, isoleucine, lysine, and histidine. (wikipedia)

An Ayurvedic cook from India said something to me which has always stuck ,”must use mustard (seed.) ” Of course this had to do with the preparations of using individual spices,( mustard seed, cumin, coriander, turmeric, fenugreek, cinnamon, etc…) and masalas (mixed curry. ) Now Dr. Grager has shown the proof that the addition of mustard seed adds the necessary enzyme to generate sulphorophane in cooked Broccoli, (and other cruciferous vegetables, ???.) I appreciate how some cultures have imperical knowledge of what works nutritionally.

Since we are talking about grains, mine are all cooked. I eat a lot of rolled oats, brown/black/red etc rice and wholemeal bread in particular. Eating uncooked or undercooked grains can cause problems because of their high lectin content. Many beans are also high in lectins. Cooking detoxifies lectins. When I eat rolled oats with added boiling water to save time (as opposed to actually cooking them for 10 minutes in boiling water), i usually experience some gastrointestinal discomfort which I assume is due to the lectins. Lectins aren’t all bad, by the way, because they have anticancer properties. Dr Greger has three useful videos on lectins. Start here:https://nutritionfacts.org/video/are-lectins-in-food-good-or-bad-for-you/

I don’t have any problems with lysine supplements – lysine is an amino acid and there is no chemical difference between supplemental and natural sourced lysine. However, I am concerned about the fillers and additives that go into all supplements not just lysine. It’s far better to get enough lysine from tempeh, lentils, quinoa (a grain by the way), pumpkin seeds, soy and pistachios but these are often unobtainable where I live so I do get occasional cold sores say once a year when I have been lax on my bean consumption. It’s for those occasions that I keep a bottle of lysine handy.

Since we are talking about grains, mine are all cooked. I eat a lot of rolled oats, brown/black/red etc rice and wholemeal bread in particular. Eating uncooked or undercooked grains can cause problems because of their high lectin content. Many beans are also high in lectins. Cooking detoxifies lectins. When I eat rolled oats with added boiling water to save time (as opposed to actually cooking them for 10 minutes in boiling water), i usually experience some gastrointestinal discomfort which I assume is due to the lectins. Lectins aren’t all bad, by the way, because they have anticancer properties. Dr Greger has three useful videos on lectins. Just type ‘lectin’ in the Search box above.

I don’t have any problems with lysine supplements – lysine is an amino acid and there is no chemical difference between supplemental and natural sourced lysine. However, I am concerned about the fillers and additives that go into all supplements not just lysine. It’s far better to get enough lysine from tempeh, lentils, quinoa (a grain by the way), pumpkin seeds, soy and pistachios but these are often unobtainable where I live so I do get occasional cold sores say once a year when I have been lax on my bean consumption. It’s for those occasions that I keep a bottle of lysine handy.

Thanks. Do you think the same goes for other amino acid supplements, as far as being no chemical difference between natural and suppmental form? Tyrosine Seems to help some with mood and brain, and tryptophan as well.

Yes and no. An amino acid is an amino acid is an amino acid but as I say all supplements come with fillers and other additives.

I personally take some supplements but nobody really knows what are the effects of taking them for many years, even decades, because it simply hasn’t been studied in the case of most supplements.

One difference from lysine though is that our bodies can actually synthesise tyrosine (but it is also found in oats, beans, wheat and nuts). A supplement would only be necessary if you have a particular medical condition affecting your body’s ability to process phenylalanine and if you don’t get anough tyrosine from your diet.

We need to get tryptophan from the diet however – chocolate, soy, peanuts, pumpkin seeds are good sources. If you are lacking it in the diet though, you may need to consider taking a supplement but the Healthline website observes

‘According to the National Organization for Rare Disorders, tryptophan supplements were linked to over 1,500 reports of eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome (EMS) and 37 deaths in an epidemic in the late 1980s. This is a rare disorder that affects multiple organ systems within the body, including the skin, lungs, and muscles. It’s often sudden and progresses rapidly. It can be disabling and it can even cause death.’https://www.healthline.com/health/tryptophan#health-risks

This risk might be a small one but I’d personally think that pumpkin and sesame seeds might be a better and cheaper alternative to tryptophan supplements.

The only people who say whole grains aren’t good to eat are crackpots on the internet and people selling overly sensational books and diet plans that ignore or misrepresent the evidence..

Health authorities around the world recommend whole grain consumption because of their demonstrated health benefits. The US dietary guidelines for example state that ‘Healthy eating patterns include whole grains’

And if you want to live to a healthy old age, studies continue to suggest that whole grain consumption is an important factor eg

‘Our meta-analysis demonstrated inverse associations of WG intake with total and cause-specific mortality, and findings were particularly strong and robust for CVD mortality. These findings further support current Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which recommends at least 3 servings/day of WG intake.’https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4910651/

and

‘This meta-analysis provides further evidence that whole grain intake is associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease, cardiovascular disease, and total cancer, and mortality from all causes, respiratory diseases, infectious diseases, diabetes, and all non-cardiovascular, non-cancer causes. These findings support dietary guidelines that recommend increased intake of whole grain to reduce the risk of chronic diseases and premature mortality.’https://www.bmj.com/content/353/bmj.i2716

Deb, I remember a blog post on the Dr McDougall website about how the Roman Gladiators were called the “Barley” men because that was a staple in their diet. They were super strong and fit … looks like the lectins didn’t hurt them any!

Basic logic says you’re doing the right thing, but the body of medical literature suggests that you’re playing with fire and may end up increasing your risk for disease and premature death. If you eat a varied, unprocessed, plant based diet, you will get all the amino acids you need for optimum health. No normal person eating this way has ever ended up with an amino acid/protein deficiency. Just because you can’t eat beans doesn’t mean you’ll end up with an amino acid deficiency either. These “missing” amino acids are not missing, just in lower amounts than animal flesh, and as Dr. G has discussed in at least one vid that I can think of, this lower amount of amino acids is beneficial in likely reducing the risk for cancer. Human physiology is well adapted to conserve amino acids when necessary, and our amino acid needs are really low…about 5% of total calories. The amino acids that are needed are used to replace what is lost through hair, skin and nails. You don’t need amino acids to keep muscles fed, and excess amino acids cannot be stored. They must be broken down, but this results in toxic by products. Excess amino acids/protein is not beneficial. As far as things like mood elevation, that would be using the supplement as a drug, which may very well carry risks as well.

The “heat” of the mustard is an excellent indicator of the presence of myrosinase. Mild mustards are cooked, and contain very little active enzyme. Hot mustards are made with cold water, and should be roughly as potent as ground mustard seed.

I am puzzled why prepared mustard is not mentioned in the video, because that would be a natural follow up question by anyone. I have no idea where to find mustard powder or seeds where I live (will go hunting though), but I can see jars and jars of prepared mustard, some types even having seeds in them (“rough type”) – I assume that would do the trick? I most definitely have no time to prepare mustard myself, I am a busy person.

Ichi, ‘ plant_this_thought’ answered your question in the posts above and below yours. No, stone ground mustard will probably not work. This is one brand of mustard powder found in the spice section. https://www.amazon.com/KEEN-Keens-Mustard-Powder/dp/B003AUEY1I You can also find mustard seed in the spice section, either in bulk or in packets. Brown mustard seed is stronger than the light yellow one. I don’t care for it personally, so I chop broccoli and other cruciferous veg in advance of cooking.

If you chop broccoli in advance of cooking then the ESP (Epithiospecifier protein) will block the formation of sulforaphane. Better to cook broccoli first and then add some fresh cruciferous vegetables or ground mustard seed to it.

The only concern with prepared mustard is that it may be pasteurized (cooked). In that case, the enzyme that produces sulforaphane will be destroyed and it won’t actually cause production of the nutrient. With a little online research, you may be able to find a brand that isn’t pasteurized, but I would assume they are until otherwise stated.

The “heat” of the mustard is an excellent indicator of the presence of myrosinase. Mild mustards are cooked, and contain very little active enzyme. Hot mustards are made with cold water, and should be roughly as potent as ground mustard seed.

It is so easy to make homemade mustard and there are tons of recipes. My current favorite is a very simple Ethiopian recipe they have made for eons. 1/4 cup mustard seed, 1 Tb water, 2 ts extra virgin olive oil, 1 clove garlic. Combine in blender. If too thick, add water 1 ts at a time to desired consistency. Refrigerate for 24 hours before using to allow flavors to meld. Optional salt added after tasting.

I am not a rabid anti-oil person, But I am someone who gets frustrated by thibgs like oil being in things like plant milks.

Hidden oils are so frustrating for those of us who suddenly see our weight slowly creeping back up.

It is obvious to me that I can’t do oil.

I didn’t go all the way back up, but I gained 7 pounds and when I watched some vegan swap videos from High Carb Hannah, what I realized is that I am one of the ones Dr Lisle talks about whose stretch receptors don’t notice extra oil.

She showed a bowl of air popped popcorn versus a vegan bagged popcorn and I am not eating as much processed food, but the concept I could use mustard and it could have oil in it. The fact that there is oil in my plant milk, boy, I know I need to find the proper brands of milk or make my own.

From the transcript: “When I used to teach medical students at Tufts, I gave a lecture about this amazing new therapeutic called iloccorB. I’d talk about all the new science, all the things it could do, excellent safety profile and just as they were all scrambling to buy stock in the company and prescribe it to all their patients I did the big reveal, apologizing for my dyslexia, I had got it backwards. All this time I had been talking about broccoli.”
– – – – – – –

Verrrrry interesting! Do you still have it? Does dyslexia ever go away…say, with a “proper” diet?

I couldn’t use safari for a long time, but now I can and my Siri trying to send me to Nutrition Facts for orgies days are over. Laughing. Every single time I tried to get to this site, I would have to go through a several step process.

First would be, “You want to fax Dot Org?”
Then, Nutrition Facts That Work
Then, nutrition Facts for orgies
Then, I would say, “Bing” and would watch it type Bing, then switch it to “Being” and say, “You summoned.”
Then, I would say, “Google” and try to use Siri, but Siri didn’t know the site and would try to send me to a nutritionist.

Finally, I would type it in and finally, I could use Safari again and life is good.

Because, if he was merely putting together a fictitious scenario using the word dyslexia in order to make a funny ha-ha, well, …. I mean, there might be some people reading that who do indeed have dyslexia, and could be offended by it. JMHO.

Yes, I remember the days when he would personally respond to questions here, but I guess he’s much too busy for that now.
I do think that he would love to read and respond to all the questions here, if he had the time! Of all the “Web” doctors, he’s definitely one of the best.

I go through an elaborate procedure, heating my broccoli sprouts to 158 degrees Fahrenheit for ten minutes, then cooling and blending with fresh ground mustard seed, then letting the mixture stand for 15 minutes. This maximizes the production of sulforophane by deactivating a protein which causes the diversion of a large percentage of the glucoraphin to a non-active nitrile. The procedure is rather time-consuming, but the result is about 5 times the sulforaphane.

I spray my sprouting containers lightly with 70% isopropyl alcohol and let them dry before reusing. I make 225 grams of broccoli sprouts every day, and never have any spoilage since using this method. Pathogens would seem much more likely to originate with the sprouting containers, which are used repeatedly and almost always moist, than from the seed, which is dry and only used once.

I just spray in some bleach on the growing container and then wash. Pick sprouts as needed from growing container and rub seeds with fingers under running water over strainer to dislodge seed shells. Supposedly broccoli seeds themselves are NOT edible even though they have tons of sulforaphane.

Broccoli seeds can be ground and ARE edible, although they are not palatable. Furthermore, they contain the highest percentage per gram of glucoraphin (sulforaphane precursor) of any stage of the plant’s development, including sprouts.

See this surprising clip of Jed Fahey, Sc.D, the scientist who first reported the high concentrations of GR in broccoli sprouts:

Hack and hold, Scott. It’s my preferred method. Not a big fan of mustard powder unless it’s in a soup or a sauce. I totally agree with you that steamed broccoli with mustard powder is a level of ‘gross’ in and of itself. And I love broccoli!

Will look for soup & recipes this weekend. Forks Over Knives May have some good ones.

Every time I see the video I wonder why Dr. G does not merely recommend cooking the broccoli at 140 f. (for 10 mins), those you get cooked broccoli without destroying the enzyme (which breaks down at 160 f.) and in the process 140 f. will destroy a competing protein (which gobbles up 2/3 of the glucosamine) so you 3X, triple, the sulforaphane.

Somewhat off-topic but not completely, since it relates to cancer, is news of a new study suggesting that Atkins/keto diets might be fuelling the increase in colorectal rates in younger people. It is only a mouse study but it’s entirely possible that the same thing happens in humans

‘A new study led by Salk Institute scientists suggests that high-fat diets fuel colorectal cancer growth by upsetting the balance of bile acids in the intestine and triggering a hormonal signal that lets potentially cancerous cells thrive. The findings, which appeared in Cell on February 21, 2019, could explain why colorectal cancer, which can take decades to develop, is being seen in younger people growing up at a time when higher-fat diets are common.’https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/02/190221141406.htm

Paul Lebow, what is the concentration of sulfuraphane in broccoli sprouts vs the florets and stalks? It’s entirely possible that it’s much lower in the broccoli plant, but because you eat much more of it, you get the same amount as is present in a serving of sprouts which weighs less.

Also, broccoli is packed with other nutrients as well: Phytonutrients in broccoli “include glucobrassicin; carotenoids, such as zeaxanthin and beta-carotene; and kaempferol, a flavonoid;” antioxidants, which include lutein and sulforaphane; and additional nutrients, including some magnesium, phosphorus, a little zinc and iron. (https://www.livescience.com/45408-broccoli-nutrition.html)

Our Food Co-op has mustard powder. I imagine that it has to be added After cooking, not during. Actually my cooking is heating soup in the microwave four 4 min., after putting some kale or brocoli, or onion on the top. Light steaming, I guess.

So, if I eat some raw radishes or any other raw cruciferous with the cooked broccoli, I can also activate the broccoli? Have I understood that correctly?
Also, with the hack and hold method: how long do I have to wait? And can the chopped broccoli be refrigerated during that time?
Thank you!

Thanks! That makes it so easy! I often serve ruccola (arugula, rocket lettuce) in my salads at dinner and that counts as a cruciferous. Plus radishes are always a nice appetizer. Shouldn’t be too hard to get those into my family’s routine.

Shilajit Secret, I made raw broccoli salad yesterday. I have a little left over and will add some radishes I got from my CSA today. I’m relishing the thought of those radishes added to my broccoli salad. Just my thought….

Hi Lisa – Thanks for your question! You are correct that if you add some raw radish or any other raw cruciferous vegetable to your cooked broccoli that you can reactive the sulforaphane production process and reap the benefits (https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/sulforaphane/)! With the hack and hold method, Dr. Greger recommends waiting at least 40 minutes after chopping before cooking up your broccoli. And yes, the chopped broccoli can stay refrigerated during that time.

Hi Canan (and CR Santa below) – Thanks for your question! Since mustard is generally made from mixing ground up mustard seeds with a variety of spices, water, and vinegar, this would be considered another alternative that could be added to cooked cruciferous vegetables. The mustard seeds are usually not heated during this process, so the enzyme would still be present to allow for sulforaphane production.

I’ve done a search on your amazing website but have not been able to find anything regarding DVT deep vein thrombosis and a natural way of taking care of the development of same. Does it simply come down to not sitting as much and exercising more?
Thanks!

I have not seen anything specific in the literature regarding this, but the general info we have suggests that….you guessed it…eating an unprocessed whole food plant based diet will likely lower your risk for DVT. Once the DVT has occurred, there isn’t going to be anything potent enough in food to dissolve the clot, so prevention is the name of the game. As Dr. G has covered, plants contain chemicals like salicylates (like aspirin) that are anti-inflammatory and reduce the tendency to clot excessively. We usually think of this more in the arterial area, but there are effects on the venous side as well. And yes, not sitting and yes, exercising, will really help.

I’ve wondered as well… if you sprinkle powder atop the broccoli, must you wait a period of time and does waiting longer or adding more produce more Sulforaphane? Does evenly spread vs missing some florets affect results? Etc. Where’s the myrosinase acting on the Glucoraphanin if you eat it too soon? In your mouth? upper stomach? Or must all action occur on the florets prior to entering your mouth?

Hi Casper, Numerous factors, such as storage time, temperature, and atmosphere packaging, along with inactivation processes of myrosinase are influencing the bioavailability of glucosinolates and their breakdown products. When tyrosinase inactivated, for example by cooking, glucosinolates transit to the colon, due to their hydrophilic nature (thioglucose and sulfate group), and are metabolized by the intestinal microbiota. The intact glucosinolates could be partially absorbed in the stomach, the remaining glucosinolates will transit through the gastrointestinal tract to reach the small intestine where they could be hydrolyzed by plant myrosinase, and the breakdown products could be absorbed. The remaining non-hydrolyzed glucosinolates will then transit to reach the colon where they could be hydrolyzed with bacterial myrosinase, and the generated breakdown molecules are absorbed or/and excreted. So in another words as long as you are eating broccoli raw or cooked and if you follow what Dr Greger mentioned by chopping it and chewing it or add mustard or other rocket family to it when eating it you will have the health benefit.

I like to buy several heads of broccoli and chop it up at the beginning of the week. I store it in the refrigerator and take out what I need throughout the week for meals. Is the chopped broccoli losing any of the “hack and hold” nutrients by resting in my fridge (already chopped) for a days?

What can to stop producing a lot of gas. No matter what I eat I have a lot especially in the evening and upon raining in the morning. I was told to eat more protein and less complex carbohydrates? Your opinion please

I’m new to WFPD, but saw your post and was reminded of a program where a chef mixed into his recipe what he called, anti-carminitive herbs, claiming this would somehow counteract the problem you mention. I have not found details on this yet, but it seems to be a plant based solution. Unfortunately the chef didn’t even name the herb he was using.

In it, he mentions several ways to reducing some non-food related causes of flatulence, such as: gum chewing, ill-fitting dentures, sucking on hard candies, drinking through a straw, eating too fast, talking while you eat, and cigarette smoking.

Additionally, beans seem to receive much of the blame for flatulence, but our bodies do adapt, as studies suggest that the amount of flatulence from increased legume consumption decreases over time. I have not heard anything specifically about increasing protein intake and eating less complex carbohydrates, but sulfur-rich foods, such as many animal foods, cruciferous vegetables, and garlic may cause increased flatulence.

Overall, however, flatulence is normal, even up to 14-22 times a day. The benefits of eating a whole foods, plant-based diet include the reduced risk of many of the leading killers, making some flatulence a small price to pay for a longer, healthier life.

I have been trying to loose weight since I am off topical testosterone due to my prostate cancer. I recently went on a keto type attempt by avoiding carbohydrates from my meals. I am now eating eggs and meat which I previously avoided. I have been doing it for a week and have lost one pound each day and feel much better, alert and not hungry. Is this a reasonable solution for me or am I going down the wrong path. I do eat vegetables and some fruit. Many thanks.

Joseph Dantony, my husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer 13 years ago, and treated (brachytherapy, no testosterone) just before we met 11 years ago. He was a widower, eating a lot of processed food, and overweight; he happily started eating my vegetarian home cooking, and by practicing portion control as well, he lost about 30 pounds over about about 18 months. After we both transitioned to plant based whole foods eating over the past few years, we both lost more weight: I lost about 5 pounds, and he lost another 15 pounds — without trying!! He’s now close to what he weighed in high school. (as am I)

We eat veggies and fruit, legumes (beans, lentils, chickpeas) and whole grains, and nuts and seeds in moderation. Dr. Greger’s Daily Dozen App is a good guide, with links to very helpful information. His book, “How Not to Die” (by which he means prematurely) also has excellent information, including a chapter on how not to die from prostate cancer in the first half, with the second half devoted to what foods to eat, why, and how much.

There are also a series of videos on this site about prostate cancer, or which include it in the discussion, and the conclusion is that a plant based diet is generally the healthiest approach.

There is often confusion about carbohydrates: All plants contain carbohydrates, and it’s very healthy when present in whole unprocessed foods, which you “process” yourself in the kitchen — i.e., wash, chop, and maybe cook it. Refined carbohydrates — white flour, sugar, white rice, pearled barley, etc — are processed carbohydrates, and are best avoided.

Many of the diets promoted on the internet or in sensational books and magazine articles may in fact be quite unhealthy. For example, the Healthline website comments

‘According to many experts, losing 1–2 pounds (0.45–0.9 kg) per week is a healthy and safe rate (1, 2, 3).
Losing more than that is considered too fast and could put you at risk of many health problems, including muscle loss, gallstones, nutritional deficiencies and a drop in metabolism (4, 6, 7, 8).’https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/losing-weight-too-fast#section1

As for eating meat and eggs plus fruit and vegetables, this Swedish paper commented:

‘High red meat consumption is associated with a shorter survival and higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer, and all-cause mortality. Fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption is associated with a longer survival and lower mortality risk. Whether high FV consumption can counterbalance the negative impact of high red meat consumption is unknown.’

but their study of this issue involving nearly 75,000 people found that

I am wondering what logic you followed that you chose Keto versus WFPB or WFPB-Vegan-Keto?

Are you following someone like Dr Berg and are you keeping the animal products to 5% or less of your total calories and are you doing the 10 servings of vegetables, which he recommends?

You having Cancer, it is Dr Ornish, who reversed Prostate Cancer.

Most of the people I know who do Keto are actually doing Atkins versus what the doctors like Seyfried and Berg recommend and Atkins has so many health problems associated with it.

If you are doing Keto for Cancer, know that it is a very strict version Seyfried used and he was not able to reverse the Cancer with diet alone, which Dr Ornish was able to do.

Seyfried used water fasting, serious calorie restriction, which may be good for Cancer, but which is not good for long-term weight loss. He also used something to inhibit glutamate, plus he used hyperbaric oxygen.

Compare that to Dr Ornish who reversed prostate cancer with diet alone.

Not lecturing you for choosing Keto, I just wonder why you didn’t choose Whole Food Plant Based when that did work for prostate cancer and vegan has the lowest BMI?

Dr. Greger has explained in videos that eggs, poultry, and dairy may increase the risk for prostate cancer, and thus, research appears to indicate that those foods may be best reduced or eliminated, especially in populations with prostate cancer or elevated risk of prostate cancer.

Overall, any diet can induce weight loss if you keep your calorie intake low enough, but the healthfulness of the diet should also be considered, especially in light of chronic disease. You should talk to your doctor about your diet, but research has gained strength to support a plant-based diet for the treatment of prostate cancer, and for weight loss.

I am a volunteer for Dr. Greger. Thank you so much for your questions.

You would get the benefits of drinking raw, juiced kale and other cruciferous vegetables, as this method of processing would retain the plant’s ability to produce sulforaphane. However, research suggests that some of the compounds from the juiced food are lost with the fiber, thus missing out on some of the beneficial compounds.

Everything we eat falls on a spectrum, where there is an opportunity to eat something worse or better. Juiced kale may be better than cooked kale, but blending or eating raw kale, or chopping the kale beforehand, may offer the most benefits.

This was fascinating and well-presented– one of the most valuable Nutrition Facts video jewels. Most of us knew vaguely of sulphoraphane and its anti-cancer properties, but how to harvest sulphoraphane routinely in the diet was still another, and obscure matter. Now, we know how and why to process broccoli for maximum benefit. In a sense, these videos help us rediscover the grocery produce aisles for ourselves.

I did chop and hold with my stew broccoli this morning–except for chopping the stems and stewing right away. I also did chop and hold on the onions since their nutrition is higher in a less cooked form. So I put the chopped onions in with the chopped broccoli to hold in the fridge until the stew cook is done. Then I will put the onions and broccoli in the stew when I’m done cooking it. The broccoli and onions might be a bit crunchy, but I am okay with that. I also squirted a bit of mustard in the stew but will be sure to pick up some mustard powder next time I shop.

On Cooked Broccoli: I can buy cellophane bags of organic broccoli, already chopped into individual florets.
Does this count as Pre-chopped?
Or does chopping need to break it down into smaller pieces than this?
And if I roast the Brocolli at 400 degrees, am I destroying the nutrient mentioned in this video?
If I then sprinkle the roasted broccoli with mustard powder, will I be getting the full benefits as eating raw broccoli?

Another commenter mentioned that if broccoli is cooked at 140 degrees or less (I assume roasted in the oven?) the nutrient will be retained.
Is this true, and what if I cook it at that temperature for long enough to make it al dente- is that too long to retain the nutrient?

When you’re buying pre-chopped veggies like the broccoli mentioned, it is most likely flash cooked to prevent spoiling. Because of this, the enzyme that produces sulforaphane is likely destroyed. This will also happen when roasting broccoli like you mentioned; however, if you add mustard powder afterwards, you can replenish the missing enzyme and produce sulforaphane as if you didn’t cook it at all! The nutrient profile is likely to change by cooking, so some nutrients might be more absorbable, but others may be destroyed so it’s difficult to say how it compares to raw broccoli. The most important thing to focus on is eating your broccoli which ever way will cause you to eat more.

Hi, being CBD effects the Endocannabinoid in a biochemical way – how does this interfere with the signals coming from the colon? Nutrition trying to fix something someone is using a drug to do. Is there a problem with that?

Hi Shemika Wiggins – Thanks for your question! Vitamin E comes in four natural forms including α-tocopherol, β-tocopherol, γ-tocopherol, and δ-tocopherol. Tocopherols have strong antioxidant properties and may play a role in cancer prevention, which makes them beneficial for everyone (both vegans and non-vegans)! Vitamin E can be found in foods like dark leafy greens, nuts and seeds (especially sunflower seeds and almonds), and wheat germ.

Hi martin1223 – Thanks for your question! That is great to hear you are making your own mustard seed powder at home and the process you’re following should be just fine! The myrosinase enzyme is destroyed when cooking at higher temperatures. Also to note, in general most ground spices have a shelf life (stored at room temperature) of 2-3 years.

Hello Janelle RD, Some of us have questions that I’ve copied below from the youtube video. Thank you.

GrummanPilot99
3 weeks ago (edited)
Noticed at 4:46 it says raw or slightly cooked mustard seeds. This makes me wonder if the mustard powder in the grocery store is possibly fully cooked or roasted therefore will not work…..?﻿

GrummanPilot99
Many spices and all nuts are irradiated for extended shelf life and to kill anything that might possibly still be alive in there. And also to decrease the toxins because all nuts are seeds and are toxic or potentially deadly if eaten raw﻿

3 weeks ago
did he say use raw mustard ?﻿

Ichigo Kurosaki
3 weeks ago (edited)
@Raja Shahja he didnt specifically say whether it needs to be raw. it would make sense that it needs to be raw because the enzyme is apparently not tolerant to heat﻿

Deb
3 weeks ago
There are some brands which are not irradiated. I buy organic, not irradiated spices. I know there is a slight risk, but I can check for recalls and outbreaks before using the bottles and generally there aren’t. On rare occasion there are, but it is very rare.﻿

But the mustard seeds are processed also. They dont just grind the mustard seeds, they probably also heat them intensely enough to kill mold, fungus, bacteria. So I think everyone should be suspicious that this video or that study makes no sense. Does anyone know for a fact what processing goes on to make mustard or ground mustard powder?﻿

Bonnie Bertrand/volition51
3 weeks ago
Would prepared mustard not work because it’s probably heated during processing? Just cooked a lot of cabbage and no mustard powder in the house . Guess I could add some chopped raw red cabbage to the cooked til I get to the store. SUPER video, thank you!!﻿

Possibly…… Gray Poupon is made with brown mustard seeds (see earlier post re: brown seeds are the highest in myrosinase) and your fat addition should be a winner, although easy on the extra fat from the Veganaise ? Without the exact proportions, I wonder if you would get enough myrosinase with your mix vs just using mustard.

I’ve been using Keen’s mustard powder. Very convenient. Just add it to all your sauces. Tastes amazing too. I grabbed it from iHerb I believe but you may find it in well stocked grocery stores. Makes great mustard too. Just add water or a bit of vinegar.

here’s an interesting quote: Mustard’s heat occurs when the seed is broken and comes into contact with cold water, allowing the enzyme, myrosinase, contained in the seed to break down the seed’s sulphur compounds. The heat reaches its peak in about ten minutes and then eases. An acidic liquid like vinegar or lemon juice will prevent the reaction if it is added instead of cold water or, if added later, will preserve the pungency and flavour. Try mustard made with Coleman’s mustard powder and water and then again using vinegar and you will taste this difference. https://www.grownups.co.nz/life/food-wine-beverages/gerald-bryan-keen-mustard/

The work with, rather than around, i found easiest and effective, i believe, is to sprout the broccoli with a few other seeds thrown in,mustard, cabbage, radish, arugula, cress, mizuma, and,tatsoi is the blend i use. just mustard or radish would probably be enough but this is a favorite mix I found online. Amazing how many seeds in a teaspoon. If the sprout isn’t fully developed, still more a soaked seed, I’ll eat it with all the rest, using my built in food processor(my molars)to bust up those cell walls,let those enzymes mix in my mouth so as to have maximum exposure to mouth and throat. It is food, after all! I dont dehull after sprouting these seeds,just chew well and regard the hulls as part of the plant.The soaked seeds are easy to chew, fairly soft.I sprout and eat up to a tablspoon of these seeds a day-Its an easy habit, sprouting in little mesh bags, regard it as a snack or garnish, rather than a meal.

I eat a lot of frozen vegetables and I just watched “Second Strategy to Cooking Broccoli”. I understand what I need to do to bring out the Sulforaphane out of broccoli. Okay, here’s my question. Are there any other vegetables frozen or not that need pre-prepping before eating to get the best nutrition value? Thank you for all you do.

That’s a great question. Dr. Greger used broccoli as the example, but most cruciferous vegetables (cauliflower, kale, brussel sprouts, cabbage, etc.) have the ability to produce sulforaphane, so the same strategies apply to those foods.